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Council member proposes quarterly public forums to increase resident access
Summary
A council member suggested holding quarterly public forums or rotating office hours so residents can ask questions beyond the three‑minute public comment period; staff said it could be agendized and must meet open‑meeting and ADA requirements.
A council member proposed at the Dec. 3 Tavares City Council meeting that the city hold periodic public forums to give residents more time and direct interaction with council members.
"Maybe doing, like, a public forum, like, 1 every 3 months," the council member said, arguing that a less formal setting and a question‑and‑answer format would let new residents learn about city processes and provide more opportunity for meaningful dialogue.
Staff cautioned the council such events would need to comply with open‑meeting laws (advertising and minutes), ADA accessibility and security requirements. Urie offered to agendize options at the next council meeting and present different formats — from topic‑specific workshops to a more general town‑hall style or single‑council‑member office hours.
Council members discussed logistical variations, including rotating meeting times (morning and evening) to reach people with different schedules and setting clear guidelines to avoid unfocused discussions. No formal policy or vote was taken; staff will return with options for council consideration.
